If there is one part of SIUC’s curriculum that is notorious for being a pain in the you-know-what, it is math and science courses. Students in the Center for Basic Skills are actually advised to take math classes at John A. Logan if they are able. Well, the mathematics department is taking steps to end this notoriety and make one of their classes, Math 108, a little more passable. With the new format, which takes effect Fall semester, students will be able to work more at their skill level by breaking up into either an A, B, or C category. This format helps ensure students have internalized the concepts they will apply to more difficult tasks later in the course. The Mathematics Department should be congratulated for doing this small, yet significant move.

Math 108 fills the math requirement for many undergraduate students, but it is even more important to freshmen science and engineering students. It provides concepts that will be used throughout their college and professional careers. Unfortunately, more than half of Math 108 students fail a waste of time and tuition.

Not all students are proficient in math and science, just as not all students are effective in liberal arts classes. It falls some on a lack of interest, but mostly it is a failure to understand those concepts. Although a university needs to apply a level of difficulty to its students, it also needs to realize that not everyone speaks the same neurological language. Does this mean those students with difficulty in these areas can never learn these concepts? Absolutely not. Does it mean that students who have problems in these classes need to stop applying themselves to the fullest? Of course not. What needs to exist is a breakdown of skill levels as proposed by the Math Department.

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This idea, based on the exact same concept as displayed by Accounting 220, can be applied to many other areas of campus. It can be applied to other core curriculum classes, since those will be the ones with the most enrollment. After the requirement is met there should be no other exemptions made if a student wishes to take another similar course. It also should not apply to students who plan to major in that field after they take their core class. This is not an attempt to make SIUC a fail-proof school. The academic pressures of most classes should still exist, but when there is a trend of difficulty, perhaps a restructuring of the program should be considered.

A University education is not supposed to be an easy road. Students here and at all universities are being given an opportunity that many are not to get an education and make a better life for themselves. Universities know what a students strengths and weaknesses are so they should be more willing to work with students to make their stay a successful one.